Heating and cooling system



July 12,1949. R. D. YOUNG ETAL 2,476,018

HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM Filed June 7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Filed June 7, 1944' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .1 41: 40, 7% BY Patented July 12, 1949 HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM Ralph D. Young, Homestead, and John Kenneth Myers, Brentwood, Pa.

Application June 7, 1944, Serial No. 539,160

This invention relates to heating systems for dwellings and the like, and it is among the objects thereof to utilize a hot water heating medium with improved means for circulating the same through a heating source of low fuel requirements.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a hot water heating system employing a heat exchanger in the path of the air flow which is of maximum heat exchange capacity and a water heating means of minimum heat capacity which shall be adapted to maintain a constant supply of heating medium independently of the heat requirements of the room to be heated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hot water heating system with means for maintaining circulation of the heating medium between the heat source and the point of heat exchange independently of the air flow con trols. Still another object of the invention is the provision of a heating system which shall be convertible to an air conditioning system and which shall employ the same heat exchange elements and circulating system for the heating or cooling medium.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, of a heating system embodying the principles of this invention, and

Fig. 2 a similar view of a combined heating and air-conditioning system.

With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the structure therein illustrated comprises a sheet metal housing I having vertical partitions 2 and 3 joined by a horizontal partition 4 to form an air circulating duct having an air inlet 5 and an air outlet 6. A filter I is disposed on the inlet side of the air duct and a series of conduits 8 on the outlet side, the conduits being connected to manifolds 9 and I and being provided with fins II to provide a maximum heat exchange area. The conduits 8 are partially enclosed in air flow cells l2 and are vertically disposed to provide maximum duration of contact of air passing vertically upward to the air outlet 6.

A blower I3 driven by motor I4 is mounted on the air inlet side of the duct for drawing air through inlet past the filter 1 to the heat exchange chamber through outlet 6.

The heat exchange conduits 8 are connected through manifold 9 to a hot water storage tank l5 having a double wall I6, a pump I! being provided for drawing hot water from tank l5 through conduit l8 and delivering it under pressure to manifold 9 from which it is uniformly distributed through the vertical heat exchangers 8 to the outlet manifold if], the conduit I 9 returning the 2 Claims. (01. 257-3) 2 liquid to the storage tank l5 through the connection 20. Pump I1 is motor driven and controlled by a thermostat 2| disposed in the return line [9, the thermostat being electrically connected by a conductor 22 to the motor of pump IT. The return line I 9 is connected at 20 to the water supply line which may be regulated by a valve, not shown. Tank 15 is connected at 23 and 24 to the coil 25 disposed in a housing 25 having a burner 21 at the bottom thereof which is of the well known side-arm heater type. Burner 21 is connected by a conduit 28 to a source of fuel such as gas or oil, the flow of which is regulated by a thermostat 29, which is responsive to the water temperature in tank IE to regulate the volume of fuel supplied to the heater 26.

Motor I4 is electrically connected by conductor 30 to a room thermostat 3| which may be set by the control indicator 32. y

The operation of the heating system of Fig. 1 is briefly as follows. The circulation of hot water from the side-arm heater 26 to the'storage tank l5 and from the storage tank through the heat exchanger tubes 8 and back to the tank is maintained independent of any demand for heat by the thermostat control 3|, as follows. Thermo= stat 2| is set to energize pump motor I! when the heating medium is at a given temperature and to deenergize the pump motor when a predetermined higher temperature prevails. When, therefore, the thermostat has energized motor ll, hot waterwill be drawn from the'top of the storage tank l5 through conduit 18 to the manifold '9 and delivered under pressure through the heat exchange conduits 8 to the manifold H) and returned to the storage tank l5. Simultaneously the water is circulated through the heating coil 25 above the burner '21 to make up any heat loss of the water passing through the heat exchange conduits 8. By this system of control a desired minimum temperature of the heating medium flowing through the heat exchangers is maintained at all times, which is available in response to any demand of the thermostat 3|.

Assuming the thermostat to be set to a desired room temperature, if the temperature falls below the set temperature the fan motor M will be energized and the blower l3 will deliver air drawn through inlet 5 and the filter I to the heat exchange chamber as shown by the arrows, the air passing upward through the flow cells l2 in contact with the heat exchange tubes the full length of the tubes and thence out through the air outlet 6 into the 'room to be heated. The heat removed from the hot water passing through the heat exchange tubes 8 will cause a drop in tem perature sufficientto operate thermostat 2|, which will energize pump motor I! and set up circulation of the hot water from tank l5. If the temperature of the hot water drops appreciably,

ture for which thermostat 2| is set, the circulat--" ing pump I! will be deenergizedwhile the. fan 53 may continue operation until the heat demand of thermostat 3! is satisfied. n the. other if the fan motor 14 is deenergized when the re?" quired room temperature has. been reached, the hot water circulating system may continue to function until the water has reached the maximum temperature for which thermostat 2| has been set.

The. combined heating, and cooling system,, utilizing the; same circulating, of the; and heating. medium as shown inEi'g, 1',,will now be described. in connection. with Fig- 2.. It? will be noted that the hot. water circulating. system of Fig. 2 is identical with that. at 1. except the addition of a manually controlled v-alye'35' inline l8 and. a similar valve 36 in line. IE, these valves being connected by conduits $1. and 3d, respec I tively, to: a refrigerating unit generally designated by the numeral 39 This unit utilizes a.- brine or other suitable cooling medium designated by the numeral so contained ina chamber surrounded by a coil ll; containing the refrigerant-medium which is circulatedbyaconduit ll through acorn.- pressor 63 thatismotor operated and automatically controlled. in; the conventional. manner to maintain the coolingmedillm 4 0 at adesireds temperature. The cooling. system is employed in the summertime when. the hot water system is m operative, valves 35 and 35 being set to disc-on:- nect the tank. IB fror-n the circulating systemand to directly connectthe refrigerating with the circulating pump l-i and. the thermostat/Ha. The thermostat 2L and thermostat 3iwill of course be set to function. to energize the pump and 'fan motors l1 and M, respectivel-y inresponse; to in.- crease instead oi drop in temperature when the system is used. for cooling or lowering room. temperatures. When'the: thermostat 3l-a isset to a desired. room temperature the: fan motor M will be energized. to draw air through the inlet 5 and filter i through theheat exchange chamber past the conduits 8 and delivered thrcugl'r the air outlet to the room. The cooling; fluid 4.10 is continually circulated. by pump l-l through the heat exchange conduits and returned to the tank 39 so long as the medium. is; above the temperature for which. the thermostat 21a is set. When the predetermined temperature is reached pump motor i1 is deenergized independently oi the opera.- tion of. the fan motor M. which may continue to supply the cool air to the room until it is disconnected by thermostat 3112.

When the apparatus is operated. as: a cooling system the moisture in the atmosphere will con dense on-the conduits 8 and drip on pan" 46 to drain 41.

On the other hand, the fluid circulating system may operate independently of the thermostat control: when no air is drawn through the system to maintain the fluid in the heat exchange conduits at a desired temperature in readiness for any demand. for coldai-r by thermostat. 3la'.

By employing a self-contained. heating and/or cooling system controlled. independently of the temperature conditions. prevailing in. the room or chamber to be heated, the system is at all times prepared to deliver the maximum heat i or the maximum supply of cold air within the limits of its capacity. There is no lag period from the time the thermostat calls for hot or cold air it is supplied, as in conventional types of hot air systems. Also by maintaining circulation of the heating or cooling medium to maintain a constant hot or cold temperature of the circulating medium in the heat exchange conduits, a heater or cooling apparatus of minimum capacity may be utilized.

As appears from the drawings, the system may be constructed as a. compact unit requiring minimum. space, the combined heating and coolin system of Fig. 2 being of the same height but of greater width or length than the. heating. system of Fig. 1'. r

Although. one embodimentof the invention. been herein illustrated and described; it will; be evident to. those skilled in the art that various modifications maybe made in the details. 01 construction. without departingfrom the principles herein set forth.

We claim: I

1'. In a hot air heating. system, a U-shaped conditioning chamber constituting an. air duct having an air inlet at the. top of one leg, and. an outlet at the top of. the other leg of the U', 'a blower for drawing air through. said inlet. and delivering the, same to the outlet side. of the duct, a motor for said blower having a thermostat control operative to, energize. said motor in response to temperature changesi'n the room. tobe heated, a plurality of heat exchange conduits disposed with their axes parallel to the path of fiow'oi the air in. the outlet leg: oi the U'-shaped.- duct connected to. a. source of heating. medium said conduits substantially filling. the space: 015- said leg, means for circulating the heating. medium through said conduits, and means responsive. to the change in temperature. of. the heating medium flowing, through said. conduits for energiz ing and. .de-energizi'ng. said. circulating means independently of the operationv of said lolowen' 2. In an air-oonditionmg system. an air. duct having an inlet and outlet, means for maintaining air flow through said duct, a heat exchange conduit with its. axis disposed parallel with the path of flow of the air in said a cooling medium. connected. for circulation through said h at. xchange conduit. apump for circulating the cooling medium through said conduit, and a thermostat in the return lineirom. said. conduit to saidsource of cooling. medium operative'in response to temperature changes in. the cooling medium for en r i ing and de-energizins saidci-rculati'ng pump.

' RALPH -D.. YOUNG.

JOHN MYERS.

REFERENCES CITED:

The following references are of record "in the file of this patent:

UNITED-STATES PATENTS 

